Dimapur, October 12: The Nagaland GB’s Association has expressed concern at the unrest between tribal organizations over the issue of recognition given to the Rongmei community in Nagaland. While leaving out statements contextualizing “tribe,” the organization has lent a word of support specific to persons that the GBs termed the “1313 genuine Rongmeis” in Nagaland.
“We are not talking about the tribe, but we are talking about doing our bit for these 1313 brothers and sisters, who otherwise would be left abandoned,” the organization declared in a press release that was issued to the media on Wednesday.
Also, the organization cautioned against altering the enumeration and fact-finding exercises by various committees appointed by the government of Nagaland. “This list is a controlled document of the state and district administration like those Sema and Angami communities who were recognized in Manipur and hence alteration or amendments to the list with those new individuals who do not qualify the criteria is out of question.”While the NGBF “respects the stand of CNTC and the constituent hohos of the council towards safeguarding the interest of the Nagas of Nagaland,” the organization stated, “we also acknowledge and welcome the outlining note given by CNTC towards the possible approach to solve the current issue.”
The Nagaland GBs reminded that the Rongmei community was already a recognized tribe elsewhere in the Scheduled List in Delhi, Manipur and Assam.
“With regard to the issue of recognition of the 1313 Rongmeis, the NGBF had already stated earlier and reiterate here that these 1313 individuals of Rongmei community who had settled prior to 1963 in the present state of Nagaland, or immediate descendents of these settlers are indigenous to the state of Nagaland as per govt. notification of 1977. And denying the right to this provision to those genuine individual would be unjust and also unlawful,” the press release stated.
The organization reminded that the “Rongmei” was already recognized as a tribe in the Scheduled List in Delhi, Manipur and Assam. With this reasoning, one can infer that the 1, 313 individual being members of “Rongmei” tribe is a tribal community indigenous to the state of Nagaland, the GBs said.
Further, the press release stated, “Henry Damant, political officer, Naga Hills in an official report of 1878-79 mentioned the existence of eighteen tribes but the census of 1891 recognized the following nine; viz. the Angami, the Ao, the Kabui, the Kuchcha, the Kezhama, the Lhota, the naked, the Rengma and the Sema”. (Before Rongmeis were known as Kabui).”
The Rongmeis migrated to their present homes in present day Nagaland; they had permanently settled in Nagaland and do not have any tie with their ancestral lands, the GB’s said.
“They have taken the present home in Nagaland as their permanent home. These indigenous Rongmeis had been given the status of an Indigenous/individual/group of Nagaland like any other Naga individual till 1990.”
By way of appealing to the people, the organization said that the Nagas were ‘known to be kind and just and as Christian and on a humanitarian ground, let us take this noble decision and reconsider what best can be done for those 1313 genuine Rongmeis.’
